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As you know if you’ve read my blog before, I am a bit of a procrastinator. It’s a writer thing, apparently. And a comic thing, and pretty much anyone creative, I think. Today’s post at Twisted Willow highlights a few different authors’ perspectives on procrastination. Check it out!

I can get a lot done as long as I’m using the tasks I’m completing to put off something else. A professor at Stanford in the 90s wrote a humorous essay about structured procrastination, where he stated that procrastinators could still be high achievers, they just needed to complete important tasks as a method to procrastinating tasks that are even more important.

I’ve always been a procrastinator, and I definitely like to be lazy sometimes, but I’m also a pretty motivated person. I want my family and friends to be proud of me, I want people to know they can count on me, and mostly, I want to make sure I accomplish something with my life.

Procrastination can definitely be a hindrance to feeling like I’m doing anything with my life. After working a 10 hour day, I usually feel like I’ve accomplished enough. I’m perfectly happy vegging out for the rest of the night. I have no problem spending at least one day of my 3 day weekends lying in bed. I feel like I’ve earned it. And there is a lot going on online, which means a lot of times, I’m at least accomplishing becoming aware of issues (or keeping up with some social media fad).

I often come up with projects I want to complete. I have a bin full of craft items that might be destined for neglect. I have a variety of interests – cooking, music, writing, reading, loom knitting, the list goes on. The problem is, once I decide I want to complete a project, it becomes an obligation. But not an obligation that I need to complete for someone else; those I honor. This is more like something that I now am required to do, and when I’m at home vegging, I don’t like being required to do anything. Here are some examples of things that I really want to do but keep putting off: Read the rest of this entry →

This is the answer to yesterday’s prompt. Check out my last two posts to learn about the writing challenges I’m posting. I hope you give the prompts a try as well, and share what you write!

The point of these challenges is to improve writing skills, which starts with getting past everything that keeps you from writing. The first thing I’m going to address is the physical activities that distract us wannabe writers. Tomorrow we’ll talk about fear. The following scene is an enactment of one of my pet-characters doing what she and I do best: procrastinating.

I’m so excited that I have the house to myself for once, Sophie thought to herself on the drive home. I am going to get so much writing done! I’m going to write some short stories, and some poems, ooh! and I can work on my book idea! Maybe I’ll outline it! Or I can just write a chapter or two!

So here’s the game plan. Once I get home, I’m going to make a quick dinner so I don’t forget to eat, and then it’s straight to work. I won’t write very efficiently while I eat though, so I’ll watch a little bit of tv. just a half hour.

Sophie walked into the house feeling confident in her ability to be productive. Then one tv show while eating turned into 2 hours of some stupid sitcom. Then… My shoulders are so sore. I could really use a bath. Maybe I’ll do some reading while in the tub. Reading’s just as important as writing. I’ll write a quick poem while the water runs.

So while the tub water ran, she checked facebook and her email. Then..

This water is soooo nice. I’m just going to soak here for a while. And now my hands are all wet… I’ll just read later.

So Sophie went to bed 45 minutes after she planned to and got absolutely nothing done.

I should blog more. I should do a lot of things more. I did actually write down a bit of a story the other day, but it was mostly autobiographical and not of stuff that I wanted out on the great big internet. But I am reading more, and with that comes the inspiration to write more.

You’d think because I’m not writing at work very often, I’d write more at home. But of course that procrastination thing that rules my life gets in the way.

Oh well, lots of exciting stuff going on, and all of it pretty boring.

But I’m going to a Sarah Bareilles concert on Sunday, with One Republic and Serena Rider! I’m super excited!

Tomorrow I’ll write you a poem, but for now, I leave you with the words of One Republic: